A mortuary with space for up to 700 bodies could be coming to York under new plans.
Plans lodged by Pure Cremation would see a mobile network switching centre in York Business Park, Nether Poppleton, converted into the company’s main mortuary for the North East.
The application lodged with City of York Council stated the facility would operate all day, every day to meet the needs of those who need their loved one’s remains collecting without delay.
Location map
Pure Cremation’s plans would see Unit 1 Hudson Court, in the business park’s Great North Way, converted with the addition of six cooling units so bodies can be stored there.
Remains would be taken to the facility in body bags by private ambulances which would be able to transport up to four bodies at a time.
Plans stated there would be an estimated 10 inbound deliveries in 24 hours and six outbound during the working day.
After arriving in a welcome area, remains would then be taken to be checked and weighed before being placed in the correct coffin.
Coffins for the mortuary would be delivered once a fortnight.
Checks include seeing if they still have any jewellery, personal items or medical equipment such as pacemakers that need to be removed prior to cremations.
Bodies would then be stored for three to four days on racks five coffins high in cold storage and there would also be an on-site freezer and offices.
They would then be transported onto the company’s crematoriums in Hampshire or elsewhere including to other third party facilities.
The facility would use the 24 parking spaces and one disabled bay already on the site for its staff.
It would not be open to the public and would be equipped with security measures including CCTV.
Up to 35 staff would be employed at the site, according to the application, which stated it would also support jobs in the wider regional funeral sector.
Plans stated the company’s operations at the site would be dignified, quiet and discreet – they would be visually low key in the corner of the business park.
The application stated: “The building is tucked away on the rear edge of the business park adjacent to the railway line and its use will not be obvious to other users or occupants.
“There is no outward manifestation of the use from the street.
“The use is a low key, discreet operation, with occasional light traffic coming and going to the site throughout the course of the day, apart from peak times when even then the traffic flows are still modest.
“As the operations consist of the storage of the deceased with no other processes carried on site, the use is not evident in any form, within the building’s perimeter or from outside the site.
“As for the operations covering a 24-hour period, the comings and goings late
at night are unlikely to cause any disturbance.”
